In 2018, AFL football and cheerleading are rarely mentioned in the same sentence. In the 1980s, however, several troupes thrived, most notably the Carlton Bluebirds. Such was the Bluebirds’ success, they inspired a number of copycat ensembles including the Richmond Tigerettes, Adelaide Crowettes and Sydney Swanettes. What few realise, however, is that the Swanettes had a rival outfit within their own club: a group of six drag queens and fanatical Sydney supporters called the Swan Tits.

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As was revealed on the Hinch Current Affairs program in 1989, the group’s evolution was inspired by their friendly sledging of the Swanettes – whose makeup, they decided during one match, left a little to be desired. The Swanettes, in turn, retorted to the stands: “You think you could do better? Why don’t you come down here?” After 12 months, the group summoned the courage to oblige – and the rest, says Rainbow Swans chair Sarina Jackson, is proud Sydney history.

Jackson tells the story of the Swan Tits as a nod to the club’s long-standing relationship with the LGBTI community – reflected today in Rainbow Swans being the largest of all pride supporter groups in the AFL. This year the club also entered a float in the 40th anniversary Mardi Gras parade, a first for a men’s professional sporting team in Australia.

The Swans’ commitment to LGBTI inclusivity, says Jackson, isn’t just incidental: it’s the product of careful planning and commitment by the club, starting with a Diversity Action Plan launched at 2017’s pride game. Amongst others, CEO Andrew Ireland and board member Sam Mostyn were influential in its development, which builds on the club’s existing Reconciliation Action Plan by adding four other pillars: disability empowerment, LGBTIQ pride, multicultural inclusion and advancement for women.

People will say sport isn’t political but it is

Sarina Jackson

The existence of the Diversity Action Plan, Jackson says, proves the club is committed to being an off-field leader, nowhere better evidenced than in its embrace of the annual pride game against St Kilda. “Sadly the club got a bit of stick about it [the pride game] from some members,” she says. “There are fans of the club who threatened to hand in their memberships and told them to stick to playing football.

“The thing I love about the Swans [though] is that they’re bigger than sport. They’re leaders in the community in all areas. To march in Mardi Gras was an incredible thing to do as a sporting club. People will say sport isn’t political but it is. It would be great not to need pride groups, or for there not to be a need to educate the community on these issues, but there is.”

One man who agrees is Nic Newman, the Swans’ halfback who played 20 games in 2017 and has added another eight this year. Last year, he and his brother Maverick featured heavily in the media in the build-up to the pride game. ‘Mav’ is openly gay, and Nic says the two have spoken about their shared desire for the pride game to be “a step to not needing one”.

“Ultimately the goal is that it’s a non-issue,” Newman says. “But that’s not going to happen overnight. For me and other guys at the club who are involved it’s about throwing our support behind it and shedding some light on what some of the LGBTI community have to go through when they go to the footy.

“Some people wouldn’t think about it, because they can rock up to a game and don’t have to worry about hearing homophobic slurs. So I’m trying to raise awareness around that, and educate people.”

As only one example, Newman said Mav had heard homophobic and transphobic slurs used in the crowd at AFL men’s games, and while his brother may have a “pretty thick skin, not everyone’s like that”. Thankfully, Newman argued that players are becoming more aware of the issue, and are more inclined to take action against homophobia and transphobia on-field.

“It has definitely improved, and that’s about education and awareness that it’s not on,” he says. “More and more guys are starting to correct players if they do say something like that.”

Jake Brown, a Swans rookie who participated in the Mardi Gras float, agrees, adding that first year players sat through AFL-wide education programs that ensured ignorance wasn’t an excuse.

“Some players wouldn’t know what they’re saying is hurtful, but we’ve had education programs since the start of the year that really helped,” Brown says. “Not just on LGBTI [issues], but Indigenous issues as well. It definitely makes an impact on the players. It teaches them what is and isn’t acceptable.”

The elephant in the room, of course, is that there has still never been a men’s AFL player come out as gay, a fact many take to be indicative of a continued homophobic culture within the men’s code. Newman, however, says things will improve when a men’s player or group of players do finally come out.

“I can’t speak on behalf of other footy clubs, but as far as the Swans go, the playing group and staff at the footy club would be really supportive, comfortable, open and welcoming to that person,” he says.

“I don’t think that’s the issue, it’s more what the general public’s reaction would be to it. I hope it does happen sooner rather than later and that it encourages others to come out as well. The public probably don’t realise how daunting it would be. I think all we can do is be ready for when it does happen, and ensure that person will be fully supported.”

The 50m line was painted in rainbow colours for last year’s pride game at the SCG. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/AFL Media/Getty Images

As it stands, the evidence is there to support the fact that pride games do make a difference. After the first AFL pride game in 2015, a VicHealth survey of more than 3,700 AFL fans showed that nearly three in five participants had experienced or witnessed homophobia or transphobia at an AFL men’s game – and that more than 50% of LGBTIQ+ fans thought games were not inclusive or welcoming. After the pride game, however, more than 90% responded that they had felt safe, included and welcomed – and, critically, more than two thirds of straight fans said they were likely to intervene if they heard homophobic comments at the football after attending the pride game.

Fiona Newton from JOY FM’s Chicks Talking Footy, who will broadcast from the pride game this year as they have done every year since its inception, said clear feedback from the LGBTI community was that “something had shifted” in response to the AFL’s pride games.

“A lot of us were really emotional about it,” she says. “To see all the players wearing rainbow, the 50m line painted in rainbow and our community being celebrated at the football – officially – for the first time, was very profound.

“Since then we’ve seen significant social change in this space. During the plebiscite, we had 13 out of the 18 teams officially make a stance for yes, the AFL changed the logo to ‘Yes’, Sydney participated in the Mardi Gras, Richmond sponsored Midsumma, and now there’s all the education at AFL and local level that players undertake.

“I think a lot of clubs have seen the initiative the Saints and Swans have taken with the pride game and now want to emulate that.”